Apple is gearing up to begin production of its new thinner and lighter MacBook Pros, with production of the new 15-inch model set to begin first in mid-April.

Mass production of the new 15-inch MacBook Pro will see initial monthly shipments of 200,000 units, according to DigiTimes. The new notebooks are expected to be powered by Intel's next-generation Ivy Bridge processors.

On the heels of the new 15-inch model, Apple is expected to begin building the thinner 13-inch MacBook Pro in June. For the smaller variant, initial monthly shipments are expected to be greater, reportedly falling between 300,000 and 400,000 units.

The latest report is consistent with previous claims that the 15-inch MacBook Pro would go into production first, and could arrive as early as this month. But Tuesday's report also suggests initial shipments of the 15-inch model will be slightly greater than was previously expected, as earlier reports claimed that initial monthly shipments would be between 100,000 and 150,000.

AppleInsider reported in February that Apple is gearing up to introduce radically redesigned MacBook Pro models this year, borrowing the ultra-thin design the company pioneered with its MacBook Air. One person familiar with the new MacBook Pro designs indicated "they're all going to look like MacBook Airs."

Like the highly successful MacBook Air, the new MacBook Pros are expected to ditch the built-in optical drive, allowing them to have a thinner and lighter design.

Intel plans to release Ivy Bridge chips that are seen as likely candidates for Apple's next-generation Macs at the end of this month. In particular, new quad-core Ivy Bridge processors are expected to officially go on sale April 29.

Among those chips are the Core i7-3720QM and Core i7-3820QM, both of which have been rumored to make their way into Apple's MacBook Pro lineup. Both chips will feature Intel's HD 4000 integrated graphics.